“Iknow this is hard, but you have to get a grip,” Jackson said.
“I’m sorry about your wall, man. I’ll pay for the damage.” Matt stared at something on the ground and kicked at it, looking so miserable that Ridley was suddenly embarrassed to be there.
She had stopped in the middle of the staircase after coming down to see what all the commotion was. Of course, her impeccable sense of timing put her right in the middle of a private conversation. At least the guys were facing away from her.
“Come on, Matt. Talk to me. What’s really the deal here? Your sister is getting married, not moving to a foreign country.” Jackson crossed his arms. “You’ve always been so overprotective of her.”
“She’s his family.” Ridley froze when they both looked at her. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to overhear. It’s just, I don’t know. I get it.” She walked down the staircase until she stood next to Matt.
“I’d feel the same way if my sister was getting married. It’s always been just the two of us against the world. When she gets married, suddenly someone else is her next of kin. I’d be happy for her, of course. But I’d be sad, too. It would feel like someone was taking her away from me.”
“You’re right. I’ve always been the one who took care of her and now it’s like…” Matt crossed his arms and glared at the floor.
“Like someone’s taking your place?” she suggested gently.
“I’m being an ass.”
“You’re being human. You’re only an ass if you don’t go apologize so that your sister can stop worrying about you.”
“You’re right.” He looked at Jackson. “I meant what I said about your wall. I’ll fix it tomorrow.” He punched him in the arm and then walked out.
Jackson watched him go and then turned back to her. He stared for so long Ridley squirmed under his scrutiny. Was he annoyed she’d butted into his conversation?
“I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“You didn’t. I’m just amazed. It’s not easy to convince Matt to see reason. I feel like I’m watching one of those nature shows when the guy talks to the angry crocodile and manages to tame it. How did you know what to say to him?”
“I’m no crocodile whisperer. Like I said, I get it. I love my sister but we’re very different and I know what it’s like to be the one who’s left behind.”
Jackson went still, a dark look passing over his features.
“I understand loss, too. Believe me,” he whispered.
When he looked up at her, Ridley swallowed. Hard. There was something in his eyes that reflected what she saw in the mirror every day. Sadness. Loneliness.
Longing.
It was almost too intense to witness, so she looked away, breaking the spell.
“Still, I apologize. I should have just walked out when I realized you guys were having a private conversation. I’ve been told I’m too nosy.”
A tendril of warmth curled through her as their eyes met.
“I’m glad you didn’t. You managed to get him to admit something that I’ve been trying to force out of him since college. I owe you one.”
“I think saving me from death by grass stain more than makes up for it.”
They laughed together, the earlier tension in the room dissipating. Jackson was quiet for a moment, then clapped his hands together.
“I was actually on my way upstairs to get you. Come join the party. I want you to meet the rest of the gang.”
He led her from the family room, through the kitchen, and out the glass doors to the patio. Ridley stopped short when she saw all the people milling around the backyard.
“Whoa! This is a lot of people. I thought you were just having a family barbecue?”
“My family does this every year and I swear every year my family gets bigger and bigger. You invite a few people who invite a few people. You know how it is.”
“Not really.” Ridley stepped out onto the patio behind him and they were immediately surrounded.
She hung back, in awe of his easy confidence as he hugged a few people and slapped a couple of the guys on the back. He seemed oblivious to the way the women looked at him with hungry stares and flirtatious smiles. Jackson reached back and grabbed her hand, pulling her to his side. Her heart sped up.
It doesn’t mean anything, he’s just being nice so you don’t get lost in the crowd, she thought.Still, she couldn’t deny the feel of his large hand around hers was a thrill.
Several of the girls looked at Ridley critically before dismissing her and turning back to Jackson. Apparently they didn’t find her to be a threat.
It took all her willpower not to throw her arms around him and say, “He’s mine. Back off, biyatches!” just to see the looks on their faces. She doubted Jackson would share the humor though, so she refrained.
Jackson pulled her closer until she stood right under his arm. “Ridley, I want to introduce my oldest brother, Bennett.”
A ruggedly handsome man with light brown skin shook her hand vigorously. “Nice to meet you, Ridley. I hope you’re feeling better.”
She blushed furiously as everyone looked at her speculatively. “I am, much better.” She glanced up at Jackson. He seemed to understand her discomfort because he quickly turned to someone else.
“And these are the other members of our usual group, Trent Townsend and Mara Simmons. Mara is Matt’s twin sister.”
He addressed Mara directly. “You should have seen her talking to Matt earlier. He actually listened to her. It was amazing.”
Embarrassed at the praise, Ridley shook hands with them both, surprised when Mara pulled her into a quick hug.
“Thanks for talking Matt down. He just came back from overseas and he hasn’t been himself lately. I don’t think he’s adjusting to civilian life so well.”
Mara looked over at Trent who hugged her close to his side and kissed the tip of her nose.
Ridley swallowed back a sudden stab of envy. With just one look, she could sense the bond between them. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have that kind of connection with someone.
“Well, let’s get something to eat. I went a little overboard on the grill.” Jackson tugged her toward the long picnic tables set up in the middle of the lawn.
The two boys she remembered from earlier that morning ran up. The smallest one didn’t wait to be picked up, just latched on to Jackson’s pant leg and started climbing like he was scaling a wall. “Daddy, we want ice cream!”
Jackson scooped him up and held him cuddled in the crook of his arm. “Not yet, little man. Let’s get some food first.”
Ridley’s heart slammed against her chest. It shouldn’t be so hot that he was such a devoted father. She busied herself by picking up a paper plate and filling it with potato chips. He’d kissed her last night, but that didn’t mean he was single. For all she knew his ex-wife or girlfriend could be at the party, too. Jackson wasn’t the kind of man any sane woman would let get away, especially if they had a family.
She pushed down a pang of regret and focused on the food. The last time she’d liked a guy he’d ended up dead, so it was probably better if she kept her thoughts off romance. Her time was going to be occupied in the near future with just trying to stay out of harm’s way.
She put a hot dog on a bun and bit into it angrily.